But a year in, congestion pricing has largely proved to be a success, according to new data<\/a> released by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority \u2014 the agency that runs New York\u2019s massive network of subways, buses, and commuter rails.<\/p>\n Since tolling began, 21 million fewer vehicles have entered the toll zone, an 11 percent drop from what was projected without it. And average vehicle speeds improved by 23 percent. That\u2019s the difference between a one-hour crawl and a 45-minute commute.<\/p>\n But the real gains came at the entry points. At the Holland Tunnel, for example, morning rush hour speeds jumped from 10.8 to 16.2 miles per hour \u2014 a 51 percent improvement. A separate analysis<\/a> that used anonymized Google Maps data found these improvements spilled over to regional roads, meaning even drivers outside the zone got faster commutes.<\/p>\n Public transit riders benefited, too. After years of steady decline, average bus speeds in the zone ticked up 2.3 percent, reversing the trend seen in 2023 and 2024. Subway and bus ridership is up too, carrying more than 400,000 riders every day compared to 2024.<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to dismiss traffic as just a nuisance, but sitting in it is linked to higher stress, lost productivity<\/a>, and worse air quality<\/a> for everyone. Getting people out of cars and onto transit helps on all three fronts.<\/p>\n Streets got safer. Crashes involving trucks in the zone dropped by 21 percent compared to the previous year.<\/p>\n The MTA made money. Net revenue exceeded the MTA\u2019s initial projections. That cash is earmarked for transit upgrades, including modern subway signals, 56 new elevators for accessibility, and the Second Avenue Subway extension.<\/p>\n The one place the jury is still out is on air quality. It\u2019s worth watching because air pollution is a quiet killer. In New York City alone, fine particulate matter contributes to roughly 2,000 deaths and over 5,000 hospitalizations each year<\/a> \u2014 and traffic is a major source of those pollutants.<\/p>\n A recent study<\/a> from Cornell found a 22 percent decline in one kind of particulate matter after congestion pricing went into effect, while another analysis<\/a> found little effect. The MTA\u2019s own analysis<\/a> showed no significant change in pollution levels. If London<\/a> and Stockholm<\/a> are any guide, it\u2019ll take a few years of data before congestion pricing\u2019s effects on air quality becomes clear.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also the question of drivers who, looking to dodge the toll, might reroute through Queens or other neighborhoods outside the zone. The MTA has anticipated that and earmarked $100 million<\/a> to offset potential air quality impacts in those neighborhoods: funding school air filters near highways and swapping out diesel equipment for electric.<\/p>\n The vocal opposition that greeted the program\u2019s launch has largely died down, similar to what happened elsewhere. When Stockholm launched its congestion pricing in 2006, two-thirds of residents opposed it<\/a>. After a six-month pilot, they held a referendum. More than half voted to keep it<\/a>.<\/p>\n New York seems to be on the same arc. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who delayed the program in 2024, now touts it as an \u201cunprecedented success<\/a>.\u201d And other cities are paying attention. Officials in Los Angeles have already reached out to New York for advice on their own potential pilot project, according to Gothamist<\/a>.<\/p>\n Turns out, if you charge people to drive, fewer people drive. Who knew.<\/p>\n You\u2019ve read 1 article in the last month<\/p>\n Here at Vox, we’re unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you \u2014 threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.<\/p>\n Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.<\/p>\n We rely on readers like you \u2014 join us.<\/p>\n Swati Sharma<\/p>\n Vox Editor-in-Chief<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Could a $9 toll change notorious traffic? New York became the first American city to find out. A…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":92308,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[6591,3433,9,56,63,65,64,1413,608],"class_list":["post-92307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york-city","tag-cities-urbanism","tag-future-perfect","tag-new-york","tag-ny","tag-nyc","tag-nyc-headlines","tag-nyc-news","tag-policy","tag-transportation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92307"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92307\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/92308"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Line](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/90Eca-charge-for-traffic-get-less-traffic-1.png\"\/)
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